New Old Things

Hello, I noticed in the last year a dearth of china type tea cups in the thrift stores, so I was delighted to find this one yesterday. I looked it over very carefully before buying, especially on the gold rim. Sometimes that area is all worn off down to the bone of the cup, and it isn't pleasant to use.

(from Pinterest)

 In past times, ladies would use the worn out teacups to plant a violet which they grew on their window sill just behind the sink. Most homes had a window from the kitchen sink so that ladies could observe their "kitchen garden" and look outside while washing dishes by hand.

From Pinterest

I don't have that feature here, so I hung a piece of fabric with a scene on it. 

This teacup and saucer cost a total of $1.50 with a discount coupon for donating to the thrift store.  Both Goodwill and Vinnies has that opportunity, so I always keep a bag by my front door in which I put things that I can donate, collected while I clean house or go through boxes and shelves.

So, since this was a Royal Albert cup, made in England and not really "new" it is a new-old-thing around here, and I was delighted how it went with the new Tea Time magazine which someone kindly sent me. 

You probably wonder why I don't talk a lot about "weightier matters" and am merely posting teacups.  It is an interest of mine, and over the years I have discovered that in years to come, I will still have the teacup, but the news will be obsolete.  What care I for the latest news scandal when I have a new-old teacup. 

Of course I have received some criticism for doing this, but you can find all that stuff online, on the radio, the television, in the newspapers, everywhere,  But do you think, for example, a cooking magazine or a decorating magazine would be as attractive if it were riddled with the controversies of the day?

That being said, people make controversies over the smallest things, I have noticed. Back in the 1950's no one argued over some of the things the news blasts out there for us to bite our nails over.

I have stated in one of my videos that to take care of the people you love helps them to be less burdensome on others, and they also can grow and develop their talents when you focus on them instead of the rest of the world. View the rest of the world as though you were a tourist and enjoy life, because much of the controversy is staged and calculated to get a desired response and attention from you.

What really matters is the atmosphere and activity in your own home. In years to come, you won't remember the daily news, but you will know by heart the events of your family.

There is a lot going on in your own home, that it would fill your own newspaper. That is generally what a blog is about.



I have my eye on this umbrella:

It goes with this fabric:

I'm not outside in the snow if I can help it, but I'm dashing through my house trying to get kitchen and laundry all done, so I can do a video for you.

I am trying to make the videos into categories now, such as inspiration, sewing, dressing,   homeschooling, living on the upside, and others.

Thank you for your kind visit and donations. I'm getting ready to show something I've sewn, and I just need some time to put on finishing touches.

A Church Bulletin

Hello Dear Ones,

I was remembering a small town  in Texas where we once lived, that had a few restaurants the church members frequented after worship on the Lord's day.

There were several denominations in that town, and their members also went out to eat after their Sunday  meetings too.

Everyone took a church bulletin with them because they could get a discount on their meal if they gave their bulletin to the cashier when leaving the restaurant.

That is not a custom so much, anymore, so today in honor of that practice, I am including today's bulletin article, which was written by someone in the church. I will be filling in the explanation under each title when I get time, so you might want to check back from time to time.

God's Guide to Mental Health

By Randall Caselman

The happy person has learned to govern himself regardless of things happening around him. See these Biblical concepts for good spiritual health:

Control Your Thoughts

Paul admonished: "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just; pure, lovely and of good report; if there be any virtue, if any praise, think on these things. 

Let Go of the Past

Get Rid of Bitterness

Be Content

Cancel the Pity Party

Don't Try to Figure Everything Out

Resist the Devil

Understand You Are Preparing for Eternity

From Griping to Gratitude

Hello Everyone,

I've been trying to overcome the habit of griping, because I think it is not just bad for my mind and my health, but I've come to realize it's not pleasing to God. It makes everyone else miserable too.  I noticed in places where God's servants like Moses and Elijah and others began to complain, He quickly set them straight and gave them a mission. I am on an anti-gripe diet.  I think a lot of griping could be prevented if people went on an anti-news media diet. It just encourages negative feelings.

If I feel like griping I'm going to use it as a trigger to clean  out something and get more orderly around here.  

Mr. S. likes to scour the Good Will and Vinnies for new office supplies. When many of the offices went paper-less, there was no need for all the file holders, three ring binders, pencil holders and all that neat organizational equipment that holds paper clips and so forth. As a result, brand new packages of paper and pens and office desk equipment are surfacing in the thrift stores.

So, he enjoys finding things he can still use, since we are both still living in the previous century. And it is good he collects it because someone in the family is always looking for some old fashioned thing like a pencil or an eraser, and they know who to go to, to get what they need.

While he was in Goodwill he found this cute cottage teapot to add to my collection; cost $2.50 with a senior discount.  Hang out with a senior, kids, and you'll get your stuff paid for at a discount.  I haven't seen any teacups with the cottage scenes on them, but we have been able to get a couple of these cottage tea pots. This one has not been used.

It makes me smile because it has a pink roof. and it makes a nice little scene here. I'll be using it when we get out the tables for the annual Summer-in-the-Country tea here in August. Every table will have one of these cottage teapots, hopefully.

While Mr. S. was doing all his errands, I was walking around Walmart looking at the fabric and feeling so grateful that they stock it as a permanent supply, so you can depend it will be there even years later.  And that way, it is not always a come-and-go-trend.

I got some pictures for you:

I like to watch youtube videos when I have time, of people who come to the US for the first time, going on their first Walmart trip. They are just thrilled with things we take for granted. But, none of them ever go to the fabric department.

 I didn't get anything today but I am seriously thinking about this fabric. It seems so outrageous but it is something I'm drawn to and I wonder how this would look on a big big skirt or a tablecloth. What do you think?  

 I could carry it off, so to speak, as I'm just that bold of a personality. A white blouse with it might be nice and it would be fun to wear at home and in the garden.

Ive got my eye on that pink and white stripe for curtains.

This aqua and white stripe is nice too:

I guess you know we are still buried here and the buckets of water I've managed to get are outside but are solid ice now.

We are soooo happy to have heat and running water!!!!!

And we are also happy to go places now the roads have been cleared.

I think it reduces tension when I'm not anxious about anything, and it certainly helps when things get fixed.

That's what it is all about here. When we see something wrong we try to fix it as best we can and with how we know.

The key to going from griping to gratitude? Do what you are able to do, and what you are not able to do, give to God.

By the way I found a picture of a dress one of the British royals wore recently, modeled by someone else.

This 1980's Laura Ashley pattern might duplicate the dress but it doesn't have a number on it!!

Someone who reads my blog has found several patterns for me, which I have been able to purchase, and I wonder if anyone can find the number for this 1980's Laura Ashley pattern.

Thank you to the reader who found the pattern for me and sent the number via email. I was able to order it from an Etsy shop and it is uncut.

For Homemakers: Living on the Upside

Hello Ladies,

It is a rather full day for us here, but I wanted to take a moment and post something for everyone

I heard someone say that housework shouldn't take much time, and that would leave plenty of hours in the day for women to earn money. However, I was never able to prove it. If people are living in the home, the homemaker keeps track of everything, knows where things are, and is busy most of the time keeping everything in order. I understand that in some countries the men do a lot of the housework, but here in the US, in homes where the man is the major breadwinner, the women at home take full charge of the house, and free up the men's time to relax when they get home.  So the homemaker, like the ones of the past, is very busy, and if she's resting, she probably is thinking about what needs to be done!

The Bible says to think on things that are good and lovely, and so it is important for the homemaker to keep her thoughts optimistic and cheerful.  Wishing won't get anything done, and if you admire these pretty photos of living rooms, and want to emulate them, the only thing to do is roll up your sleeves and do a little whenever you can, and make some progress.


Look at your home in different ways, with different eyes, (this is a figure of speech meaning a different viewpoint or attitude) as if you were a visitor, or if you were the owner of an Inn. It makes a difference, because we get stuck in our ways and get used to things being a certain way. We can easily overlook the piles of things we have got, that are unattractive in the home, when we get used to seeing them.

Thank you for your wonderful comments, and please make up your mind to have a lovely day.

Lydia

I said something about this coat on a comment. I am NOT suggesting that this particular young woman is any kind of moral example to us, but I am showing the COAT. She is, like many of us, growing and maturing and learning to dress well.

http://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com/2019/02/first-look-kate-in-blue-for-ballymena.html

Skirts and Blouses

Hello Ladies, to reinforce my point about being able to identify a lady, do a little research on YouTube for videos of Victorian street scenes in England and America, Canada, etc. in the late 1800's and early 1900's when the video camera first came to be.  It would be nice if we ladies would dress a little more "identifiable" ---well, in case we go missing ;-)

So Much For My Snow Bath

There was great anticipation on my part when I placed this bucket under a drip last night, in preparation for washing my hair and washing up, both personally and the dishes in the sink. 

However when I looked out the window this morning I saw a full bucket of water being used as a drinking fountain by the robins.

They can't find water in this weather so I was glad to oblige, yet, 

using that water isn't an option. You know how the birds muck it up.

So, I'm going to be outside tramping around in the almost two feet of snow looking for a drip off the roof that the birds aren't flocking around.

So disappointing. 

We have drinking water but Mr. S. thinks its extravagant to heat bottled drinking water for washing my hair. 

And, melting snow is an exercise in too much exercise with very little pay-off, since snow is mostly air.

If I can get water, I will wash my hair and make another video while I'm still able. This time, I hope to talk about skirts and blouses and how to wear them so that you look your best. Plus, I will discuss why dresses don't always fit well and how to alleviate that when choosing styles in the stores and patterns for sewing.

Here's my Arc de Triumph,  about ready to fall over from the weight of the snow:

 Im still going to wash my hair, even if it takes all day to melt enough snow.

It takes a lot longer to get the day started when you have to heat the snow and make water for everything, but it is worth it. I see why the pre-electric people were so thin. Filling pans and buckets with snow is very athletic.

The three old cars are buried in snow, but we are going to brush the snow off the one that actually works, and try to go into town for some supplies. Mr. S. thinks that being cooped up too much gives him cabin fever and interferes with his special creative humor.  We can't have that. 

Yesterday he said his pre-injured foot bothered him enough to let him know it was still there. So, he wants to get out and walk around on a flat surface in a heated building with lots of office merchandise.

But first, he has to shovel some snow so the car can get to the road.

To clarify:  we have no running water, due to the snow storm knocking over some electric lines. And so we have store bought bottled drinking water for drinking and cooking, not for hair washing or bathing. That is why I was catching the drips off the roof as the snow melted. We have not had running water for 4 days. But I did get some snow water melted and heated and washed my hair. I felt really spa rich, like it was some special water in an exclusive place. It is worth a lot!  

How Do You Like This Sweet Cake?

We like to  do something creative every day, and if we can't think of anything, we just clean something in a creative way, as long as it isn't too crazy.

As the snow melted it became quite packable so I was in a hurry to think of what to do with it besides the traditional snowman. It always amuses me to see the things people make out of snow these days. I've seen Victorian men and women snow statues, giant cupcakes, gardens with arches, houses and everything else.

This was all I could think of today. A snowman is too time consuming but a cake was quick and easy and I loved cutting it with my old Cutco cake spatula.

Also, I could stay on the front porch and not have to bundle up in waterproof boots and such.

It is not looking like it will be gone any time soon.

What creative things have you done with packable snow?

White Everywhere

I had to get this teacup out today for some spring!

We've a had a few days of green grass and warmer temps and now this!! 

Someone who saw these three old cars in our driveway commented on us having three cars. Mr. S. replied, "Yes, it is nice to have three old cars, because once in awhile, ONE of them WORKS!"  My dad used to say that, too!   Today none of them work because the doors are frozen shut. 

Although only one of the cars works, there is no way to get out, as the snow plow has not cleared the road yet. 

 The electric is on, which I'm really thankful for and keep praying it stays on!!

We won't be riding that bike to sell flowers at the moment, will we.

Black History Month

Ladies, I let the month of February slip past me without acknowledging Black History Month. For some reason I thought it was celebrated in March.

Anyway, I love the paintings of people showing their deep reverence for Christ and His sacrifice for us, and I found a few on Pinterest. However,  there were no names or artists with them, so I can't say who painted them.

I have been noticing a lot of young African American people with youtube videos on living life in a positive way and they have really encouraged me this week. Some of them went to the White House for a Young Black Leadership Summit recently, and spoke very enthusiastically of it on their videos. 

You can see how thrilled and excited some of the very young were over being guests at the White House. It was a dream of a lifetime for many of them. 

 I noticed they said there was no alcohol served there , but sparkling water and apple cider, etc. I think that is so wise. It isn't good for young people to drink as they need to have good judgment and clarity. I was impressed.

Of course it is always good to see leadership in politics and business, but the greatest contribution any people can make to any nation or the world is their personal dedication to Christ and His Word, and the spreading of the gospel.  That is what makes a people truly  great  and that is what makes a nation good.  

Yet, that would not be possible if the nation were not being kept free by the vigilant effort for free speech and expression of religion. Without that, it would be very hard to teach and preach, wouldn't it!  God bless these people, who have contributed so much to our churches and businesses and our military too.